A team from St. Andrew’s Priory won a special award from United Technologies Corporation at the 62nd Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles.

Shawnalyn Wing Chun Sunagawa, 18, and Sara Elisabeth Middendorf, 18, both seniors both won $1000, a plaque and a backpack full of prizes for their project, "PAWT (Polygonal Airfoil Wind Turbine), the Greener Future: An Innovative Approach to Engineering a Bladeless Wind Turbine", in the category of Electrical Engineering. Sunagawa and Middendorf also placed second in their district fair in Hawaii, under the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. Their teacher is Michael Grech.

The Hawaii Academy of Science sponsors the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, which was held in late March. The winners of the state fair, along with the top winners from the districts around the state, are invited to compete in the international competition held annually in different host cities. ISEF 2010 was held in San Jose, CA and ISEF 2012 will be held in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Awards Ceremony continues today with the Best of Category and Grand Awards, including scholarships and prizes totaling over $4 million dollars.

Hawaii has 26 students from around the state entered in individual and team projects and have been in Los Angeles for the past 6 days to compete with over 1500 students from 65 countries, regions and territories around the world. The competition is open to all high school students and is coordinated by the Society for Science and the Public, based in Washington, D.C.

More information can be found at www.societyofscience.org/isef.